After weeks of preparation, the Good Samaritans School in Haiti celebrated National Good Samaritans Day on March 13th.  A planning committee of teachers and students organized a variety of activities – including a presentation by each grade during the school’s morning gatherings in March of someone who exemplified the Good Samaritan.  

The school community also began collecting funds in February that would be used to help feed the inmates at the local prison in Saint Marc.  Sixth graders counted what was collected each day and added it to the total on their posterboard.  They had a goal to raise 50,000 gourdes (approximately $450). This activity has been a Lenten practice of the school and was a perfect opportunity this year for the students to support the local community as Samaritans. 

On Good Samaritans Day, student representatives along with teachers and staff delivered bags of rice, beans, cooking oil and propane to the prison.  Additionally, there was a celebration at the school that included poems, sketches and songs to honor the Good Samaritan – and of course, the singing of the school hymn “Go and Do the Same.”  The teachers and staff also received a gift from Cecile Mortel of a French copy of Dr. Mortel’s last book to honor this special day.

This was our first year celebrating National Good Samaritans day and we can’t wait to make it an annual tradition to honor all of the Good Samaritans- both in the US and Haiti- who help instill the spirit of generosity and service to those in our communities.